HARRISBURG, Pa. — A Harrisburg man was convicted this week of conspiring with three others to buy guns, even though he was barred by law from owning them.
Johnny Quinones, 37, was convicted Wednesday of straw purchasing a gun, possessing a firearm and ammunition as a felon, and criminal conspiracy in a bench trial before United States District Court Judge Jennifer P. Wilson, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Quinones conspired with three other individuals to purchase firearms for felons and persons under indictment. Quinones was prohibited by law from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions, Karam said.
On August 11, 2020, Harrisburg Police responded to a reported shooting in Harrisburg, where a victim was shot in the head. They eventually focused on Quinones, a convicted felon, as a suspect in the case, Karam said.
The investigation ultimately revealed that Taashaun Mansfield was buying guns for felons. Mansfield bought seven guns in a two-month period and each time he lied on the forms about who was going to receive the guns.
All the guns ended up in the possession of people prohibited by law from possessing them.
The following coconspirators pleaded guilty to weapons offenses and were sentenced, according to Karam:
- Mansfield was sentenced to 37 months in prison
- Michael Windham was sentenced to 46 months in prison
- Antonio Godbolt was sentenced to 33 months in prison
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in conjunction with the Harrisburg Bureau of Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael A. Consiglio and Richard Euliss are prosecuting the case.
